Priorities
by Lisa-la
Summary: An outing for Matt and Cody takes an unexpected detour.
1. Chapter 1

Priorities

Jesse Hawkes put another log on the fire and returned to his seat on the couch, setting his mug on a nearby table and retrieving his book. He didn't often get to spend an afternoon on his own; with a sixteen-year-old in the house, time that wasn't taken up with daily chores generally went to Cody's home-schooling, or teaching the boy the skills he needed to survive in the mountains. Although there wasn't much about woodscraft that Cody didn't know, at this point.

Today, though, Cody had ridden out as soon as he had finished his morning chores, claiming that his brother Matt had some work for him to do at the Ranger Station, and that he'd be back by dark. Jesse suspected the trip actually had something to do with his own upcoming birthday, but he played along to keep from spoiling the surprise. Matt and Cody were incorrigible when they got together on something like this, and Jesse would just have to brace himself and wait for the results.

Although he didn't say so very often, Jesse was privately pleased that his sons got along so well together. When his ex-wife had decided to live in Tahoe, rather than staying in the remote mountain cabin, and then Matt had decided to go with her, Jesse had worried that the boys' relationship would be irreversibly damaged by the separation. He had briefly considered sending Cody to Tahoe as well, as painful as that would have been, personally. But Cody had made it clear, even at that young age, that he wanted to stay with his father. So Jesse and Jackie had made sure that the boys were able to spend as much time together as possible, and it seemed to have worked out as well as it could have. They had enjoyed these little adventures of theirs since Matt was old enough to take responsibility for both of them, whether they were camping and fishing on the mountain, or seeing a movie and sharing a pizza in town.

Of course, now he had to deal with the two of them conspiring about his birthday. While he was reasonably certain that was what they were up to – Cody had never been able to lie to Jesse, even about little things – he had no idea what the specifics were. He supposed he should be worried that they were both in on it, rather than working on two separate ideas. The last time they did something like this, Cody had been eight, Matt fifteen, and Jesse had been forced to choke down something they insisted was birthday cake. He tactfully waited a few weeks before he tried to teach them the difference between "from scratch" and "at random."

Smiling at the memory, he returned to his book. There was firewood to chop, and repairs to be made on their little barn, but it was still early. He glanced at Cody's dog, Ding, who lay in a furry heap in front of the hearth. "A couple more chapters won't hurt, boy," he told the dog. "I'll start after lunch." _Can't have Cody thinking I wasted the whole day._

_XXX_

It was raining lightly when the two young men stepped out of the saddlemaker's shop, and a cold bite in the air hinted at the possibility of snow later on. They settled their purchase carefully in the back seat of the Blazer, then climbed in.

"We'll have to get you back up the mountain pretty quick," Matt Hawkes observed, scanning the cloudy afternoon sky with a practiced eye as his younger brother fiddled with the radio, "or you'll be sleeping at my place tonight." Matt had been out checking on a report of out-of-season hunters when Cody had arrived that morning, so they had gotten a late start on their mission, and had stopped for lunch before driving out to the saddlemaker's to make the final payment and pick up the custom-made saddle.

Cody looked up through the windshield as well, and shook his head. "Nah. It'll be another day at least before we get any good snow."

The brothers talked easily as they made their way along the winding mountain road to Tahoe, covering a wide variety of topics from skiing to Cody's school work to their plans for their father's upcoming birthday, the present for which now resided on the seat behind them. Cody had covered his half of the cost of the new saddle by working for Matt at the Ranger Station, cleaning gear and stalls, filing reports, and whatever else needed doing. He said it was good training, anyway, since he intended to be a Ranger himself, when he was old enough.

"Have you given any more thought to college?" Matt ventured, trying to sound casual. He knew practically everyone was asking that these days – he remembered what it was like – and he didn't want to push.

As he expected, Cody scowled. "Is there some kind of conspiracy going on here? Cutler and Robin both asked me that while I was waiting for you at the station."

"No, I'm just curious," Matt replied with a grin. "You could get in just about anywhere, with your grades."

"I don't want to go _just about_ _anywhere_."

"Well, where do you want to go?"

Cody was silent for a moment or two. "I don't have to go to college to be a Ranger," he said carefully.

"Not necessarily, but it helps." When Cody looked askance at him, Matt said, "Okay, you know these mountains better than anyone else who might come in and apply. But college will give you experience outside the mountains, and that's important, too." Cody's nod said he already knew that, and Matt went on, "Besides, Mom and Dad would kill me if I let you start without going to college first."

Cody nodded again; he knew that, too. "I thought I could go to the University of Nevada at Reno," he said after a moment. "They have a criminal justice program, and I'd be close to home."

"And close to home is important." Matt thought he knew the answer, so it wasn't really a question.

To his surprise, Cody actually squirmed, again pausing before venturing a reply. "I – hate to leave Dad up there all alone."

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," Matt pointed out indignantly. "I'll still be around to make sure he doesn't become a hermit or something. And it's not like you're never coming back."

"I know. It's just …" Cody didn't finish, but he didn't have to. Matt remembered that part of growing up, too – the sense that things were changing and nothing would ever be the same again.

"Don't worry about it, Toad," he said. "It'll all work out, and it'll be great." Cody nodded, and Matt changed the subject. "So, have you figured out how you're going to get Dad out of the cabin on his birthday, so I can get in with the goodies without being caught?"

"Well, if it doesn't snow, I was going to suggest fishing, but I don't know about that now, with the weather like it is. I guess more firewood is a possibility – Matt!"

At that moment, a pickup truck came barreling around the curve ahead of them, in the wrong lane. Matt, in the lane closest to the edge of the mountain, swerved to his right to avoid it, but the road was wet, and he knew he wouldn't make it. He heard the pick-up hit the side of the Blazer, and knew they were sliding down the mountainside before he lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Cody was aware of was someone calling his name. The voice was familiar, and at first, he thought he was home in bed.

"Dad?" he muttered, and that was when he noticed the headache. Actually, headache was too mild a word for it. Maybe he should just go back to sleep …

"Come on, Cody, wake up."

That got his attention, and he struggled to get his eyes open, fighting back sudden nausea. "Matt?" His vision started to clear, and he realized he was in Matt's Blazer. What on earth had happened? He raised his head carefully to look at his brother, and came fully awake at last.

"Matt –" His older brother was still in the driver's seat, leaning heavily against the door, pale and breathing fast. The windshield and both side windows were laced with cracks. "Was it an earthquake?"

"No, a truck hit us. How're you doing?"

"Um, I – everything's kind of blurry, but I think I'm okay. If I don't throw up in the next minute or two, anyway." He drew a deep breath to steady himself, then looked more closely at Matt. "Are you okay?"

Matt gave a half-hearted laugh, but his face was drawn with the effort of ignoring his discomfort. "Well, not exactly. I think my leg's broken, but I can't see it from here."

Cody started to lean forward to look for himself, but the nausea came back with a vengeance and he sat back. "Whoa. Bad idea."

"Take it easy. I think we took quite a ride down the mountain. Remember why we were out here?"

Cody thought for a minute, then turned carefully to glance into the backseat. "Dad's birthday saddle."

"Right. You had me worried, when you didn't wake up right away."

He could hear the tension in Matt's voice, and suddenly suspected that Matt had larger problems than a broken leg – problems that he wasn't sharing. "Okay, I think I can move around, if I go slow. Is the first aid kit still under the seat? I'll have to get out –"

"Cody, if you can get out, we need to check on the other driver."

Cody blinked in confusion. He didn't remember another driver, but Matt seemed to have a better handle on the immediate past than he did. He supposed there must have been another driver, though, to go with the truck that hit them. And something was definitely wrong, if Matt, who worked with injured hikers, hunters, rock-climbers, and whatever all the time, was suggesting that he should get out and walk around. "All right. Where is he?"

"I can see the truck from over here, but I can't see a driver. You'll have to go over and look."

"Great, invisible driver," Cody muttered, releasing his seatbelt and reaching for the door handle. Easing his legs out, he took a good look around. They were in a creek bed at the bottom of a ravine; he could see the evidence of their descent in the broken branches and crushed underbrush on the steep hill behind them. There was a small meadow on the other side of the stream, but no signs of civilization. Pushing carefully to his feet, he gave himself a moment to adjust to being upright, and then looked around for the truck. It was on the opposite side of the Blazer, only about ten feet away, having landed right side up, as they had, but facing the other direction, and bearing the same evidence of rolling down the steep embankment that Matt's vehicle did.

"Okay?" Matt asked from inside.

"Yeah," Cody replied. "I'm just going to go slow here."

"Good idea. Just take your time."

Slowly, Cody worked his way around the front of the Blazer, leaning against the hood for stability and relieved that the world was only spinning slightly under his feet. The rain was still falling lightly, and that combined with spray from the creek made the rocky surface slippery. When he reached Matt's side, he gathered himself and started across the space between the two vehicles, reaching the driver's side of the pickup without incident. Cautiously, he peered through the broken-out window into the cab.

"Matt, there's nobody here," he called.

"Maybe he got ejected," Matt replied. "Take a look around, but don't go too far."

Not taking the time to reply, Cody started picking his way towards the bed of the pickup and around the back end. Reaching the other side of the truck, he stumbled backwards in surprise, catching at the tailgate with both hands for support. The driver was there, about fifteen feet away, eyes staring sightlessly at the gray clouds overhead, totally motionless. Cody's stomach was trying to rebel again, but he forced himself to go a little closer. It was clear that the man wasn't breathing. Still holding on to the tailgate, he started back.

"Cody?" Matt called.

"He's dead," Cody said flatly, keeping his eyes on the uncertain terrain as he made his way to the Blazer.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah."

Matt was silent as Cody returned to the passenger side to lean across the seat for a moment. "Anybody we know?" he asked somberly, when Cody looked up again.

"No. Arizona plates." Pulling himself together, he decided to get down to business. He reached under the seat for the first aid kit and in the process, got a good look at Matt's leg for the first time. "Matt –"

Matt nodded in confirmation, but there was definite concern in his eyes now. "It's a compound fracture, isn't it?"

"I can't tell from here, but you're bleeding from somewhere. Let me see …" Working slowly, Cody pulled himself up to kneel on the floorboard, reaching across the center console to prod at the bloody denim. Matt hissed at his touch and tried to pull away, but there was only so far he could go, and the movement made it worse. Cody jerked his hand away and looked up in dismay.

"Sorry. Look, I can't tell anything from here; it's too dark under here and the angle's all wrong."

Matt nodded again. "Okay, just get a dressing on it, over the jeans, if you have to, and we'll make due." Cody stared at him, frightened for the first time since they'd found themselves in the creek bed, and Matt added tightly, "I know it's going to hurt – just get it done."

After several long, difficult minutes, Cody slipped back out of the Blazer and started to climb into the passenger seat. Looking at his brother, though, he reached over the seat and came up with an old blanket, tucking it carefully around Matt's shivering form with unsteady hands. That done, he settled back into his own seat, his head flopping back on the headrest.

"You okay?" he asked eventually, when Matt's breathing had slowed somewhat.

"I'll make it," Matt sighed. "How about you?"

"Yeah." Suddenly struck by the absurdity of the situation, Cody started to laugh. Aware that Matt was staring at him as if he'd grown another head, he explained, "We're a pretty sorry pair, huh?"

Matt smiled, getting the joke. After a moment, he asked, "You know where we are?"

Cody looked around the area again, and realized with a slight shock that he did. "This is Walker's Creek, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I figure we're less than two miles upstream from where it passes under the road at Mike Red Bear's gas station."

Cody gave his brother a long look. He thought he knew where this was going, and he didn't like it. "Red Bear's closed down last spring."

Matt gazed out the cracked windshield in front of them. "True. But there's still a pay phone there."

"Matt, I'm not leaving you here!"

"Cody!" Matt interrupted, lowering his voice when Cody's protest subsided. "Look, no one's going to see us down here from the road. I'm not due back on duty until tomorrow morning – no one's going to miss us until you don't get home tonight, and that's at least four hours off, and then they'll have to search in the dark. If you follow the creek bed down to Red Bear's and call the station, and they'll have someone up here in an hour or so."

Cody glared at the dashboard, frantic to come up with another alternative. Trouble was, he just couldn't. As much as he hated the thought of leaving his brother alone and wounded, delaying medical attention for Matt definitely increased his chances of developing a nasty infection – a fact that Matt had noticeably avoided mentioning. And in truth, it would take him at least an hour to get to the phone, before the Rangers would even know where to look.

"All right," he said finally. "Are you sure you'll be okay here? I could try to climb up and leave a flare on the road."

"You're just getting the hang of walking on flat ground – you'd never make the road. I'll be fine, Toad. Just don't take any detours."

_XXX_

Jesse Hawkes gave the barn door another swing. It had taken the better part of an hour, but he'd finally replaced the rusty upper hinge – no small job, without someone to help rehang the door. The lower hinge should be replaced, too, but it wasn't as bad as the top one, and he was uncharacteristically losing all interest in domestic chores.

He wasn't sure when, but at some point in the afternoon a clear sense of foreboding had crept into the edges of his consciousness, hinting at some undefined trouble lurking to catch him unawares. Only when he scanned the surrounding forest for the fourth time, expecting to see a bear or mountain lion or _something_, did he recognize the feeling as one that had nothing to do with natural predators.

Jesse had led the High Mountain Rangers for almost thirty years before retiring, and in that time he had developed a kind of sixth sense for knowing when one of his people was in trouble. He had never consciously acknowledged it, just accepted it and acted on it. And when it saved a Ranger's life, well, that couldn't be anything but good, right? When Matt joined the Rangers, though, Jesse discovered that if this warning system sounded off for Rangers, it positively screamed for sons. Even after retiring, he still seemed to know when Matt was hurt on the job – and that had happened a time or two.

That was the feeling he had now. Something was definitely wrong with his boys, both of them, but he had no way of knowing what. He didn't even know where they were. He debated going in and calling the Ranger Station – Matt wouldn't have gone anywhere without letting his team know where he was. But what would he tell them? He couldn't ask Hart to launch an all-out search on a hunch, possibly keeping the Rangers from being able to respond to a real emergency.

He gave himself a mental shake. Matt was an experienced Ranger, and Cody had proven himself in a pinch more than once. They were together, and if they were in trouble, they'd take care of each other.

Jesse started putting away his tools. Even knowing that his sons were capable of taking care of themselves, he thought he'd just spend the rest of the day inside – near the radio. If they had run into anything they couldn't handle on their own, Matt and Cody would call the Rangers, and the Rangers would call Jesse.

_XXX_

Jim Cutler pulled another equipment manifest form out of the desk drawer and rolled it into the typewriter, wishing for the umpteenth time that the High Mountain Rangers had the funding for a computer. Next year, Matt kept telling them, maybe next year. But any money they could get ended up going for new rescue equipment – and since that was what they were all about, he supposed he could make due with the ancient typewriter, for at least another year. Usually, it was Izzy, the "rookie" Ranger, who got stuck with the paperwork. But Cutler had sprained his ankle searching for a lost hiker last week, so he was stranded at the desk, while Izzy, who technically wasn't a rookie anymore, pulled patrol duty with Hart. And looking at the gray, damp weather beyond the window, Cutler thought maybe that had worked out in his favor.

Having found the right form, Cutler started riffling around for the hand-written list of ski patrol equipment that he had just been working from, the one that Robin and Izzy had spent most of yesterday compiling and the one that would need to be reviewed and updated before the ski season started. When the desk phone rang, he grabbed at it, grateful for the distraction from the mundane office tasks.

"High Mountain Rangers, Ranger Cutler speaking," he announced. At the sound of the familiar voice on the other end, he grinned. "Hey, Cody, where are you guys?"

As he listened, the smile disappeared from his face, and he yanked open the desk drawer to find a pencil and began scrawling on the equipment manifest as he spoke. "What? Slow down a minute. Yeah, I know where that is. Cody, are you okay? All right, just stay put. I can have a team there in a few minutes; just stay right where you are. I'll get Avila in the air, too. Just stay where you are, kid, we're coming to get you."

Hanging up the phone, he reached for the base radio, muttering, "Well, _they're_ coming to get you; I'm sitting this one out. Hang in there, guys."


	3. Chapter 3

After making the call to Cutler, Cody stumbled over to a picnic shelter by the stream and dropped heavily onto a bench. He didn't remember putting his head down on the table, and was startled to feel a hand on his shoulder almost immediately.

"Cody?"

With great relief, he recognized Tim Hart, Matt's second-in-command, and although he thought he should be alarmed at the apparent blackout he'd just had, he decided he was too tired to care. Beyond Hart, he could make out Izzy Flowers in one of the Rangers' Jeeps, speaking to someone on the radio.

"Can you take the Jeep up the creek bed?" he asked, trying not to lean too heavily into Hart for support as he rose.

Hart frowned at the abruptness of the question. "Sure. But let's take a look at you first –"

Cody shook his head, and then blinked back the stars that appeared in his vision. This was not good at all. "No, we've got to get back up there. He's still there and he's bleeding from the leg."

"Okay," Hart said after a moment, not having to ask who "he" was. "Let's get you into the Jeep, then, and you can show us where."

Within twenty minutes, they had located the two wrecked vehicles and radioed more specific directions to Avila and Robin, who were on their way in the helicopter. While Hart and Izzy worked at both stabilizing Matt and making him more comfortable – they didn't want to move him until the chopper arrived with the right equipment – Cody sat miserably in the back of the Jeep. He had wanted to get out when the others did, but Hart had handed him a dry blanket and ordered him to stay put.

He looked up at the sound of the approaching chopper, watching as it settled gently into the field across the stream and the rear door swung open. Hart stepped away from the Blazer to wade the stream, leaning into the cockpit to speak with Frank Avila, the pilot, before turning to help Robin Kelly with the rescue gear. Cody could hear the chopper engines powering down as he watched them pick their way back to Matt and Izzy. Avila was jogging over as Cody climbed out of the Jeep, and intercepted Cody before he could move towards the wreck.

"Hey, Cody, how about you come back over to the chopper with me?" Avila said, catching his elbow when Cody stumbled on the rocks.

"I'm not leaving until he's out, Frank," Cody warned.

"And I'm not asking you to. Just get over to the bird so I can take a look at you, and we'll be ready to go when they've got him out."

Sighing his resignation, Cody let Avila lead him through the calf-deep water and across the little meadow. Reaching the chopper, he sat on the edge of the passenger bay and tolerated a basic first aid exam, wincing when Avila produced a flashlight from somewhere and shone it in his eyes.

"You bang your head on something, Cody?" Avila asked, putting away the light.

"I don't think so, but Matt said we took a real tumble."

"You don't remember?"

"No," Cody replied, looking back over at the ruined Blazer, "but I don't think I really want to."

"Yeah, I bet. Hurt anywhere else?"

"All over, but it's just sore muscles." Cody looked up abruptly as he remembered something, blinking when the movement threw his balance off slightly. "Frank, the other guy –"

"Hart's made arrangements. He and Izzy are going to take him out on a Stokes on the Jeep, and meet an ambulance at Red Bear's. We're on the case; you don't need to worry about a thing."

Cody nodded carefully. They did seem to have everything under control. And with that realization, he almost gave in to the urge to sleep – but he'd be in the way here.

"Where am I riding?" he asked.

"Up front with me." Avila glanced at the other Rangers across the creek. "Think you can get up there yourself?"

"Yeah." Cody figured he must look awful, and he knew the rest of the Rangers had sort of adopted him as a kid brother, but all this fussing over him was starting to get on his nerves just a bit. He stood to circle to the other side of the chopper, steadying himself on the side of the craft when the earth shifted slightly under his feet and murmuring assurances when Avila reached to support him. Well, maybe their concern was justified, just a little.

Apparently satisfied that Cody would make it, the pilot struck out across the stream to help the others, and Cody climbed into the co-pilot's seat, shutting the door behind himself and pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders. He couldn't see the others from here; the creek was on the other side of the chopper, to the rear. If he tried, he could turn far enough in the seat to make out the front end of the Blazer, but he was too tired to hold the position for long. He decided to concentrate on staying awake and not shivering quite so violently.

He was just starting to get warm when Avila returned to clamber into the pilot's seat and start flipping switches. As the big rotors began to circle lazily overhead, Cody heard the bay door open and felt the chopper shift as people began to climb into the back. Avila caught his eye and gave a reassuring nod.

"That's it; we're out of here. And Izzy said to let you know that he'll take care of that saddle for you. Better strap in – we'll be airborne in a few minutes."

Cody fumbled with the restraints for a moment before finally getting them fastened, and was reaching for the headset when he was startled by Robin's head appearing between the seats.

"How are you?" the paramedic asked, giving him a quick, concerned once-over.

"I'll make it," Cody replied. "How's Matt?"

"He'll be fine. A little worried about his wheels – and you. You did a good job with that pressure bandage." She disappeared into the back, and Cody heard the bay door slam shut. He pulled the headset onto his ears, and in a moment, he heard Robin's voice again.

"Okay, Avila, we're clear."

As the helicopter lifted up out of the meadow and swung around towards Tahoe, Cody caught a glimpse of Hart and Izzy waving at them from below. Then the trees were rushing by below them, and the ravine was left behind. The blur of green below, coupled with gray clouds above, proved almost hypnotic, and Cody couldn't seem to prevent himself from nodding off. He was startled awake some time later by Robin's voice in his ear.

"Frank, don't let him go to sleep!"

This was followed by Avila's light slap on Cody's shoulder, but Cody was already rousing. A glance out the window revealed the streets of Tahoe below them.

"We're five minutes out," Avila explained, then reached to turn on the radio. There was a brief burst of static in the earphones, and then Avila began: "This is White Eagle calling Ranger Base."

The response was instantaneous. "Ranger Base, go ahead."

"Base, we're on approach at this time. After off-loading," Avila glanced at Cody, trying to find a way to not use names on the open frequency, "um, one of the victims is a minor, and I'll be heading to pick up his guardian." He shrugged at Cody, then covered his headset microphone with one hand. "Hey, that makes it an official trip, right?"

"Um, that won't be necessary, White Eagle," came Cutler's hesitant response. "The, uh, minor's guardian was apparently listening in on our frequency. He showed up here about five minutes ago and, um, borrowed your car. He'll meet you at the hospital."

Avila grinned, nodding as if he expected as much, and Cody could hear Robin chuckling through the headset.

"10-4," the pilot replied. "We'll give you a call when we know what's what. White Eagle out."


	4. Chapter 4

When Jesse's sense of trouble hadn't gone away – had, in fact, only gotten worse – he had finally given in and turned on the ham radio set that was their main means of communication on the mountain. From that point, it was only a few minutes before he took the next step and tuned in the frequency the Rangers usually used, just in time to hear Izzy radio in that they had reached the crash site. The fact that no one was using names on the radio didn't make a difference – he knew who the victims were. By the time he arrived at the hospital, Robin Kelly and Frank Avila were both waiting for him outside the emergency room, and his sons were nowhere to be seen. Avila spotted him as he came through the door, and both Rangers were on their feet when he reached them.

Uncharacteristically, he said the first thing that came to mind. "How bad is it?"

"It's not too bad, Mr. Hawkes," Robin answered reassuringly. "Matt's got a broken leg and Cody's probably got a concussion – and he's pretty worn out – but considering what the Blazer looks like, they're in pretty good shape."

"The nurse wanted us to point you towards the desk over there," Avila added, indicating the admissions area. "I guess they've got some papers. And the doctor should be out in a few minutes."

With a deep sigh, Jesse released some of the nervous tension that had been with him most of the day and made his way over to the admissions desk. He used the bureaucracy of parental consent forms to fill the next few minutes, finishing just as a bespectacled woman in a white lab coat appeared in the waiting area. Jesse recognized her, from his years as a Ranger and from Matt's occasional on-the-job injuries, as one of the emergency specialists, but he couldn't remember her name. She apparently recognized him as well, and made straight for him.

"Mr. Hawkes," she greeted, extending her right hand. "I'm Dr. McGinnis, and I've been seeing to Matt."

Returning her handshake, he let her lead the way to a less busy area of the room, aware of Robin and Avila trailing in his wake.

"Okay," Dr. McGinnis began, "I'm not one to beat around the bush, so here's what we've got. Matt's got a compound fracture of the lower right leg, but the bleeding seems to have been stopped fairly quickly, and our orthopedic surgeon feels that there shouldn't be a problem getting it set correctly. They're taking him up to prep for surgery now.

"Cody has a mild concussion, and he's pretty well exhausted as well. Ordinarily, we'd send a concussion victim home with instructions for his parents on what complications to watch for. But Cody was barely able to stay awake for the exam, and the Rangers indicated that he may have blacked out on them once or twice. I also understand that getting home is quite a journey for you. So we're going to keep him tonight for observation – if nothing else, he'll get a night's rest before heading home." She smiled reassuringly at Jesse. "I realize they've probably scared you half to death, but they're going to be just fine."

Jesse blinked slowly, slightly surprised. He could feel Robin and Avila behind him, relaxing as Robin's field diagnoses were confirmed. He'd imagined all manner of disasters, as he'd ridden down to the Ranger Station. This was much better than he'd expected. But still …

"When can I see them?"

"Matt's going to be a few hours, but we should have Cody in a room shortly. I'll send someone down to get you when he's settled."

As the doctor excused herself and started off, Avila reached to clap Jesse on the shoulder. "Those two can get into and out of anything," he said with a relieved grin, then glanced at Robin. "I'm going to go call Cutler and tell him he's about to have some company on desk duty."

_XXX_

A half hour later, Jesse was on his way up to Cody's room, escorted by a rather talkative young nurse.

"Now, Cody's going to be pretty groggy, Mr. Hawkes," she was saying as the elevator ascended. "I don't even know that he'll be awake before morning – he was pretty out of it when we brought him up."

As the doors opened on a brightly painted hallway, she glanced at him in time to catch his grimace. "He's going to hate being in Pediatrics," Jesse explained.

"Actually, he just missed it," she laughed, as she guided him down the hall to their left. "Technically, since he's sixteen, hospital policy makes him a Pede case. But there's been a bad flu outbreak in the schools, and we're full up. He's just the other side of Pediatrics, in a regular room."

As they passed from the cheerful colors of the children's ward into the more sedate décor of the hall beyond, she added, "Dr. McGinnis said she'd have your other son moved in here when he's out of recovery. And the bonus of being a Pede patient is that a parent can stay with him practically all the time."

Stopping in front of a closed door, she said, "Here we are. Just call the nurse's station if you need anything."

Thanking her, Jesse pushed the door open carefully and stepped inside.

_XXX_

The last hour had been a confused blur for Cody. They had made him get on a stretcher as soon as he got out of the helicopter, even though he'd insisted a wheelchair would be fine; and then watching the ceiling lights shoot by as they wheeled him to Emergency made him nauseous all over again. He had no idea where Matt was, and although Robin had been with him at first, he had eventually lost track of her as well. He also had a vague impression that his dad should be here somewhere, but he didn't think he'd seen him yet.

Now he seemed to have been settled into a room for the night, although no one had actually said so. He had the feeling that he had been nodding off at regular intervals, even though he was trying hard to stay awake until he could get someone to tell him what was going on. Dragging his eyes open again, he glanced slowly to the right in time to see Jesse slip through the door.

"Dad?" he squeaked; anything louder made his head hurt, and he wasn't entirely sure he was really awake.

"Hi, son," the potentially dream-Dad said softly, crossing to stand by the bed and resting a hand on the top of Cody's head.

Cody blinked at the contact. "Am I still asleep?"

Jesse grinned. "No, but you should be. You remember why you're here?"

"Wrecked the Blazer," Cody replied slowly. "Matt's gonna need a new one. Where's Matt?"

"He'll be here in a little bit. Why don't you just close your eyes for a little while?"

Cody complied for a moment or two; then he thought of something else and forced himself to open his eyes once more, tracking slowly to Jesse's face.

"Dad?"

"Right here, Cody."

Cody closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. "The other guy was dead."

Jesse paused before answering. No one had told him what had happened to the other driver, and he had been too distracted to ask. "It sounded like it was a pretty bad accident, son."

"Matt sent me to check on him, but it was too late." The boy drew another breath and let it out slowly. "Guess we got lucky."

"Guess so. Go to sleep, son. I'll wake you when Matt gets here."

"'Kay."

Cody's breathing evened out almost immediately, and after a moment, Jesse pulled up a nearby chair and settled in, breathing his own sigh of relief. _Guess we did get lucky, didn't we?_


End file.
